Evanston Writers

Mark A.

Verified review

Sandy has done a terrific job. She is an excellent writer, but, more than that, she takes the time to figure out exactly what your goals are, and then tailors her writing to be in line with those goals. She is also prompt, dependable, and charges extremely reasonable fees. I highly recommend Sandy for your writing needs!

Mr. N.

Karen F.

Verified review

Linda's work is above the rest! You won't find a multi talented photographer, writer, and graphic artist all-in-one like Linda. Once you let Linda do her thing, you will see your business grow like never before.

Amar R.

Verified review

Mike was the Editor-in-Chief and Team manager for our website/blog Mostbest.com. He is a creative thinker and a quality writer. He also managed a team of six writers. His work ethic was exceptional. His managerial skills were great and he had a good rapport among all the team members. He was our go-to-person for any kind of task.

Jack B.

Verified review

Mike has done a great job editing my work in the past. He has a very critical eye and is good at spotting inconsistencies and making work more concise. My writing was definitely much improved after receiving Mike's input. Having reviewed some of his own work as well, I know that Mike is also a clear, clever, and insightful writer.

Abby N.

Verified review

Heidi is amazing  she is professional, easy to talk to and most of all, she transformed my book into a more interesting and readable format. Her input gave me the confidence to put my story out into the world. I would recommend Heidi to anyone who needs an editor. She understands what the writers challenges are  she gets it. Shes great!

Matthew B.

Verified review

Marissa was an excellent tutor! She helped me with my English homework and because of her I got a much better grade in the class. I feel like I am a better writer because of her and I use the skills she gave me in all of my writing assignments now. She was incredibly professional but also very friendly and easy to talk to. Essay writing is now so much easier for me because of the the things Marissa taught me. I would recommend Marissa as a tutor to anyone looking to improve their writing.

Amber H.

Verified review

Derek Frazier, Firm Leap Solutions, has been writing grants for Frontline Foundations, Inc. for over four years. He is an outstanding professional and a person of great integrity. He is committed to details, time-frames and always delivers more than expected. You can count on him to deliver as promised.

Nina H.

Verified review

Cindy is the best of the best! She is someone you just want to get to know. She handled everything so beautifully and led us through it each step of the way. Our wedding was better than we could have ever hoped for! She made the entire wedding so personal and even wrote the most incredible poem about our lives together. We are going to have it framed as a lifelong reminder! With Cindy performing our marriage, we always felt comfortable that everything was in control and would go well - and believe me, that's a great feeling! After all, your wedding is your most important day!
Cindy doesn't only have a lot of experience marrying people, but she has been a speaker for years! So she is very used to talking to big crowds. This was so wonderful, because she came across so natural, she could be heard well, and really knew how to "present" the ceremony so that it all comes off without a problem. She is also great for those awkward "on the spot" moments where no one knows what to do or say. (We had one of those with my mother-in-law, but Cindy handled it beautifully!) Everyone was so pleased and very impressed. She led us through our rehearsal so we all knew what to do and what to expect. She helped us to write our vows without being intrusive or pushy. She was sooooo helpful! She organized our music for us, helped us to chose readings and just put together and overall ceremony that blew us away! Oh, and she also created our wedding bulletins! They were really awesome! I just loved them!!! I will recommend Cindy to everyone (and do). She is that on-in-a-million type of person you just hope will come into your life. We will always be grateful that she came into ours!!!!

Susan S.

Frank D.

Verified review

I've been working with Kristie for over 1 year now and I can truly say she is a top-notch and creative writer. She has an uncanny ability to have the readers visualize the outcome you are trying to portray. It is a skillset that has definitely placed my business to a different level. I highly recommend her.

Amaka Imani N.

Verified review

John D. Evans is a Wonderful, Poet, Author & Man of God. I Have Purchased One of His Poetry Books, J.D.'s Groove! He is a Fascinating Writer who shares Great Words of Wisdom. John D. continues to Inspire Others in Many Ways. I Recommend His Books & His Services! He is Dedicated to Serving All as the Founder of Musology! I Am so grateful for his Kindness and Inspiration! If you haven't purchased one of his many books, look for him on Amazon or his personal website and get your copy!

About

I am a stand up comic, writer and improvisor. I can perform for parties and events and help people with speech writing and performing skills.
I am trained from Second City writing program and iO improv program. I have experience performing stand up all over the Chicagoland area and will perform or assist for parties and events.

About

About

I am a freelance writer. I am new to freelance, and so limited published experience to show. However, I have a B.A. in English and a thoughtful disposition, balanced by a keen awareness of this results based reality. I bring this marriage of industriousness and creativity to every project I indertake, and produce quality results with a short turnaround.

About

Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How do you hire a good grant writer?

Grants are available to nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses that qualify for government grants, and individuals who qualify for foundation or government grants. Hiring a good grant writer can help you gain funding in your chosen field. According to the American Grant Writers’ Association, grant writers can help you research potential grant opportunities; write grant proposals, create budgets, and build budget narratives; review written materials before you submit; prepare a business plan; analyze your organization for grant competitive qualities; prepare research grants; help with 501(c)(3) applications for nonprofits; and more. Investing in the right grant writer could result in a financial win for your organization. Generally no licenses or certificates are required to be a good grant writer, but you may want to find a grant writer who has been certified (not just received a certificate of completion) by a reputable organization such as the Grant Professionals Certification Institute. Qualities to look for in a good grant writer include:

Careful attention to detail — brilliant grant proposals may be rejected just for formatting errors, so you want someone who follows instructions explicitly.

Expertise in your target area.

Punctuality and good communication skills.

How much does a grant writer cost?

Hiring a grant writer can give you a competitive edge when applying for financial grants for your business or nonprofit organization, or as an individual. The cost to hire a grant writer can vary depending on their academic background, areas of expertise, previous grant writing success and years of experience. According to the Grant Professionals Association, grant writers should be paid hourly or by flat fee. It is unethical for a grant writer to accept a commission or percentage compensation of grant monies received. They can, however, be awarded bonuses in line with the hiring company’s prevailing practices. Here are some examples of average grant writing fees:

Hourly rate for grant writers with less experience or fewer grants awarded: $25-$35 per hour.

Hourly rate for grant writers with some degree of success: $35-$75 per hour.

Hourly rate for grant writers with proven success winning large grants: $75-$150 or more per hour.

For a smaller grant, the writer may charge a flat fee of $200-$500 for preparation and submission.

Pricing may also vary based on the complexity of the grant application. A federal grant that requires pages of research, budgets and a business plan may take more than 30 hours to prepare. For a high-level grant writer who charges $100 per hour, this means $3,000 or more in grant writing fees.

Most grant writers will provide you with a total cost estimate before agreeing to the work. You may be required to pay a deposit up front, or the grant writer may work from a retainer. Often, seasoned grant writers pay for themselves in the long run by writing successful grants.